Life history variation in upper Columbia River Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha): a comparison using modern and ~500-year-old archaeological otoliths

2011 ◽  
Vol 68 (4) ◽  
pp. 603-617 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jessica A. Miller ◽  
Virginia L. Butler ◽  
Charles A. Simenstad ◽  
David H. Backus ◽  
Adam J.R. Kent
Keyword(s):  
Life History ◽  
Chinook Salmon ◽  
Life Histories ◽  
Oncorhynchus Tshawytscha ◽  
Columbia River ◽  
Adult Size ◽  
Limited Information ◽  
Life History Variation ◽  
Archaeological Collections ◽  
Before And After

Conservation planning often occurs only after a species has been extirpated from portions of its historical range and limited information is available on life history diversity prior to development. To provide information on Chinook salmon ( Oncorhynchus tshawytscha ) life history before and after local extirpation, we examined the chemical (87Sr:86Sr, Sr:Ca) and structural composition of modern and archaeological otoliths from the upper Columbia River. We compared otoliths from modern spring (yearling migrant, n = 15) and summer–fall (yearling (n = 7) and subyearling (n = 12) migrants) runs with those from extirpated runs (n = 8) to estimate the number of and similarity among natal environments and reconstruct aspects of the migratory history. Presumptive natal sources were most similar between the archaeological collections and the modern summer–fall run. Chinook salmon represented by the archaeological otoliths also displayed life history traits, including size at freshwater emigration and adult size at return to fresh water, most similar to the summer–fall subyearling run. These data indicate that there is the potential to maintain aspects of predevelopment Chinook salmon life histories in the Columbia River, and strategies that promote maintenance of that life history diversity may be warranted.

scholarly journals Juvenile life-history diversity and population stability of spring Chinook salmon in the Willamette River basin, Oregon

2016 ◽  
Vol 73 (6) ◽  
pp. 921-934 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. Kirk Schroeder ◽  
Luke D. Whitman ◽  
Brian Cannon ◽  
Paul Olmsted
Keyword(s):  
Life History ◽  
River Basin ◽  
Chinook Salmon ◽  
Life Histories ◽  
Oncorhynchus Tshawytscha ◽  
Juvenile Salmon ◽  
Population Stability ◽  
Willamette River ◽  
June July ◽  
Willamette River Basin

Migratory and rearing pathways of juvenile spring Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) were documented in the Willamette River basin to identify life histories and estimate their contribution to smolt production and population stability. We identified six primary life histories that included two phenotypes for early migratory tactics: fry that migrated up to 140–200 km shortly after emergence (movers) and fish that reared for 8–16 months in natal areas (stayers). Peak emigration of juvenile salmon from the Willamette River was in June–July (subyearling smolts), March–May (yearling smolts), and November–December (considered as “autumn smolts”). Alternative migratory behaviors of juvenile salmon were associated with extensive use of diverse habitats that eventually encompassed up to 400 rkm of the basin, including tributaries in natal areas and large rivers. Juvenile salmon that reared in natal reaches and migrated as yearlings were the most prevalent life history and had the lowest temporal variability. However, the total productivity of the basin was increased by the contribution of fish with dispersive life histories, which represented over 50% of the total smolt production. Life-history diversity reduced the variability in the total smolt population by 35% over the weighted mean of individual life histories, providing evidence of a considerable portfolio effect through the asynchronous contributions of life histories. Protecting and restoring a diverse suite of connected habitats in the Willamette River basin will promote the development and expression of juvenile life histories, thereby providing stability and resilience to native salmon populations.

Route selection in a large river during the homing migration of Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha)

2006 ◽  
Vol 63 (8) ◽  
pp. 1752-1762 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew L Keefer ◽  
Christopher C Caudill ◽  
Christopher A Peery ◽  
Theodore C Bjornn
Keyword(s):  
Chinook Salmon ◽  
Oncorhynchus Tshawytscha ◽  
Columbia River ◽  
Large River ◽  
Migration Route ◽  
Route Selection ◽  
Behavioral Differences ◽  
Long Distance ◽  
Selection Decisions ◽  
Efficient Route

Upstream-migrating adult salmon must make a series of correct navigation and route-selection decisions to successfully locate natal streams. In this field study, we examined factors influencing migration route selections early in the migration of 4361 radio-tagged adult Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) as they moved upstream past dams in the large (~1 km wide) Columbia River. Substantial behavioral differences were observed among 11 conspecific populations, despite largely concurrent migrations. At dams, Chinook salmon generally preferred ladder passage routes adjacent to the shoreline where their natal tributaries entered, and the degree of preference increased as salmon proximity to natal tributaries increased. Columbia River discharge also influenced route choices, explaining some route selection variability. We suggest that salmon detect lateral gradients in orientation cues across the Columbia River channel that are entrained within tributary plumes and that these gradients in cues can persist downstream for tens to hundreds of kilometres. Detection of tributary plumes in large river systems, using olfactory or other navigation cues, may facilitate efficient route selection and optimize energy conservation by long-distance migrants.

Assessing covariability among populations in the presence of intraseries correlation: Columbia River spring-summer chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) stocks

2000 ◽  
Vol 57 (3) ◽  
pp. 616-627 ◽  
Author(s):  
Louis W Botsford ◽  
Charles M Paulsen
Keyword(s):  
Chinook Salmon ◽  
Degrees Of Freedom ◽  
Oncorhynchus Tshawytscha ◽  
Columbia River ◽  
Data Types ◽  
Natural Logarithm ◽  
Different Types ◽  
John Day River ◽  
One Year ◽  
John Day

We assessed covariability among a number of spawning populations of spring-summer run chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) in the Columbia River basin by computing correlations among several different types of spawner and recruit data. We accounted for intraseries correlation explicitly in judging the significance of correlations. To reduce the errors involved in computing effective degrees of freedom, we computed a generic effective degrees of freedom for each data type. In spite of the fact that several of these stocks have declined, covariability among locations using several different combinations of spawner and recruitment data indicated no basinwide covariability. There was, however, significant covariability among index populations within the three main subbasins: the Snake River, the mid-Columbia River, and the John Day River. This covariability was much stronger and more consistent in data types reflecting survival (e.g., the natural logarithm of recruits per spawner) than in data reflecting abundance (e.g., spawning escapement). We also tested a measure of survival that did not require knowing the age structure of spawners, the ratio of spawners in one year to spawners 4 years earlier. It displayed a similar spatial pattern.

scholarly journals Ultrasound imaging identifies life history variation in resident Cutthroat Trout

PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. e0246365
Author(s):  
Kellie J. Carim ◽  
Scott Relyea ◽  
Craig Barfoot ◽  
Lisa A. Eby ◽  
John A. Kronenberger ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Life History ◽  
Ultrasound Imaging ◽  
Life Histories ◽  
Cutthroat Trout ◽  
Error Rates ◽  
Reproductive Status ◽  
Lifetime Reproductive Success ◽  
Life History Variation ◽  
Westslope Cutthroat Trout ◽  
Isolated Populations

Human activities that fragment fish habitat have isolated inland salmonid populations. This isolation is associated with loss of migratory life histories and declines in population density and abundance. Isolated populations exhibiting only resident life histories may be more likely to persist if individuals can increase lifetime reproductive success by maturing at smaller sizes or earlier ages. Therefore, accurate estimates of age and size at maturity across resident salmonid populations would improve estimates of population viability. Commonly used methods for assessing maturity such as dissection, endoscopy and hormone analysis are invasive and may disturb vulnerable populations. Ultrasound imaging is a non-invasive method that has been used to measure reproductive status across fish taxa. However, little research has assessed the accuracy of ultrasound for determining maturation status of small-bodied fish, or reproductive potential early in a species’ reproductive cycle. To address these knowledge gaps, we tested whether ultrasound imaging could be used to identify maturing female Westslope Cutthroat Trout (Oncorhynchus clarkii lewisi). Our methods were accurate at identifying maturing females reared in a hatchery setting up to eight months prior to spawning, with error rates ≤ 4.0%; accuracy was greater for larger fish. We also imaged fish in a field setting to examine variation in the size of maturing females among six wild, resident populations of Westslope Cutthroat Trout in western Montana. The median size of maturing females varied significantly across populations. We observed oocyte development in females as small as 109 mm, which is smaller than previously documented for this species. Methods tested in this study will allow researchers and managers to collect information on reproductive status of small-bodied salmonids without disrupting fish during the breeding season. This information can help elucidate life history traits that promote persistence of isolated salmonid populations.

Changes in adult Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) survival within the lower Columbia River amid increasing pinniped abundance

2019 ◽  
Vol 76 (10) ◽  
pp. 1862-1873 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Michelle Wargo Rub ◽  
Nicholas A. Som ◽  
Mark J. Henderson ◽  
Benjamin P. Sandford ◽  
Donald M. Van Doornik ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Chinook Salmon ◽  
Oncorhynchus Tshawytscha ◽  
Columbia River ◽  
Mixed Effects ◽  
Eumetopias Jubatus ◽  
Considerable Effort ◽  
Alosa Sapidissima ◽  
Sea Lions ◽  
Regression Modelling ◽  
Passive Integrated Transponder Tags

Considerable effort towards conservation has contributed to the recovery of historically depleted pinniped populations worldwide. However, in several locations where pinnipeds have increased, they have been blamed for preventing the recovery of commercially valuable fish species through predation. Prompted by increasing pinniped abundance within the Columbia River (CR), USA, over a 6-year period, we used passive integrated transponder tags to measure the survival of adult spring-run Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) through the estuary and lower CR to Bonneville Dam (river kilometre 234). We estimated 51 751 – 224 705 salmon died annually within this reach from sources other than harvest. Mixed-effects logistic regression modelling identified pinniped predation as the most likely source of this mortality. The odds of survival was estimated to decrease by 32% (95% CI: 6%–51%) for every additional 467 sea lions (Zalophus californianus and Eumetopias jubatus) present within the CR and to increase by 32% (95% CI: 8%–61%) for every increase of 1.5 in the log of American shad (Alosa sapidissima), a potential prey item for sea lions.

scholarly journals Density Dependence, Evolutionary Optimization, and the Diversification of Avian Life Histories

The Condor ◽  
2000 ◽  
Vol 102 (1) ◽  
pp. 9-22 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert E. Ricklefs
Keyword(s):  
Life History ◽  
Life Table ◽  
Life Histories ◽  
Life History Traits ◽  
Evolutionary Ecology ◽  
Reproductive Rate ◽  
Empirical Modeling ◽  
Adult Survival ◽  
Life History Variation ◽  
Evolutionary Response

Abstract Although we have learned much about avian life histories during the 50 years since the seminal publications of David Lack, Alexander Skutch, and Reginald Moreau, we still do not have adequate explanations for some of the basic patterns of variation in life-history traits among birds. In part, this reflects two consequences of the predominance of evolutionary ecology thinking during the past three decades. First, by blurring the distinction between life-history traits and life-table variables, we have tended to divorce life histories from their environmental context, which forms the link between the life history and the life table. Second, by emphasizing constrained evolutionary responses to selective factors, we have set aside alternative explanations for observed correlations among life-history traits and life-table variables. Density-dependent feedback and independent evolutionary response to correlated aspects of the environment also may link traits through different mechanisms. Additionally, in some cases we have failed to evaluate quantitatively ideas that are compelling qualitatively, ignored or explained away relevant empirical data, and neglected logical implications of certain compelling ideas. Comparative analysis of avian life histories shows that species are distributed along a dominant slow-fast axis. Furthermore, among birds, annual reproductive rate and adult mortality are directly proportional to each other, requiring that pre-reproductive survival is approximately constant. This further implies that age at maturity increases dramatically with increasing adult survival rate. The significance of these correlations is obscure, particularly because survival and reproductive rates at each age include the effects of many life-history traits. For example, reproductive rate is determined by clutch size, nesting success, season length, and nest-cycle length, each of which represents the outcome of many different interactions of an individual's life-history traits with its environment. Resolution of the most basic issues raised by patterns of life histories clearly will require innovative empirical, modeling, and experimental approaches. However, the most fundamental change required at this time is a broadening of the evolutionary ecology paradigm to include a variety of alternative mechanisms for generating patterns of life-history variation.

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